Flo's Standbys

Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Servings: 12

1/4 c Unsalted butter, room temp	1/2 c Sugar
1 Egg	1 1/2 t Vanilla
Grated rind of 1 orange	1 c Plus 2 T flour
1/4 t Baking powder	1/8 t Salt
1/2 c Coarsely chopped walnuts	1/4 c Chocolate chips

Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar and beat until creamy. Beat in egg. Mix in vanilla and orange zest. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in another bowl. Stir into butter mixture. Do not overmix or cookies will be tough. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips by hand. Dough will be firm. Shape dough into one log, 12 inches long, 2 inches wide and 3/4 to 1 inch high. Using spatula, place log on greased and floured baking sheet.

Bake at 325 degrees until log is light brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Using spatula carefully remove log to wire rack and cool 5 minutes.

Transfer log to cutting board and cut into 12 (1 inch wide) slices, cutting each slice on the diagonal. Place each slice on its side on baking sheet. Toast biscotti at 300 degrees for 20 minutes, then flip over and bake until golden brown on both sides and hard to the touch, another 20 -minutes. Any biscotti that aren't eaten immediately can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

This recipe is from the Star Tribune Taste section. - Flo Leighton 1993

Stars Lemon Bars

Servings: 24

1 1/2 c Flour	1/2 c Powdered sugar
6 oz Butter	6 Eggs
3 c Sugar	1 c Lemon juice
1/2 c Flour

Mix 1 1/2 cups of flour, powdered sugar, and butter until crumbly and press into 9 by 13 pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Combine the eggs, sugar, lemon juice (may add 2 tablespoons more for tarter flavor), and 1/2 cup flour. Pour over baked crust and bake at 300 degrees for 40 minutes more.

I usually add some lemon zest to the crust.

These are VERY LEMONY. This recipe is from Christie. - Flo Leighton 1993

Congo Bars

Servings: 16

2/3 c Butter	2 1/3 c Brown sugar
3 Eggs	2 t Vanilla
2 3/4 c Flour	2 1/2 t Baking powder
1/2 t Salt	12 oz Chocolate chips

Melt butter. Add brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well. Measure flour and add salt and baking powder. Stir in until mixed. Add chocolate chips. Pour into 9 by 9 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Cut in bars when cool but not cold.

© Flo Leighton 1993

Ammer's Cookies

Servings: 18

2 c Sugar	2/3 c Milk
1/2 c Cocoa	1/4 lb Butter
3 c Oatmeal	1/2 c Nuts
1/2 c Coconut

You may substitute 2 squares unsweetened chocolate for cocoa. In that case only put in 1 tablespoon of butter.

Boil sugar, milk, cocoa or chocolate and butter for 5 minutes. Mix in oatmeal, nuts and coconut. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper. Cool.

Of course these are just like candy. Number of servings will vary. 

Ammer was my helper when my children were young. - Flo Leighton 1993

Chestnut Spice Cookies

Servings: 30

2 c Flour	1 T Baking powder
1/2 t Salt	1 t Cinnamon
1 t Nutmeg	3/8 t Cloves
1/2 c Butter or margarine	1/2 c Brown sugar
1/2 c White sugar	1 Egg, beaten
1 can Chestnut spread (17 oz)	1 c Chocolate chips or raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Set aside. Cream butter and sugars. Stir in beaten egg and chestnut spread. Blend in flour mixture and chocolate chips or raisins. Drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. When cool frost with lemon glaze (powdered sugar and lemon juice spreadable consistency).

This recipe was on the can of Clement FAUGIER chestnut spread. They suggested raisins, but I thought I would prefer chocolate chips. I served these at the 1991 Christmas brunch.
- Flo Leighton, 1992

Christmas Cookies

Servings: 36

1 1/2 c Brown sugar	1/2 c White sugar
3/4 c Butter	3/4 c Lard
1 1/2 c Sour milk	1 1/2 c Molasses
2 Eggs	1/4 lb Citron
1/2 c Walnuts	1/2 Lemon
1/2 pk Figs	1/2 lb Dates
1/4 pk Candied orange peel	1/4 pk Candied lemon peel
1 c Raisins	1 c Currants
1 t Cinnamon	1 t Cloves
1 t Nutmeg	1/4 t Anise seed
1/2 t Baking powder	1 1/2 t Soda
1/2 t Salt	6 c Flour

Use conventional cookie mixing method. Let stand over night. Drop by rounded teaspoons on baking sheet. Bake 400 degrees.

You can guess this is an old recipe. It is from Mary Lipetsky who lived on Fremont Avenue North in Minneapolis. Bernice and I stayed with the Lipetskys our first year in Minneapolis. Bernice was here getting her Masters at the University and I was teaching at Penn School. These cookies are like fruit cake in cookie form. I'm sure you can make substitutions in ingredients. I think it is better to start out baking a test cookie at a lower temperature. - Flo Leighton, 1992

Arthur's Chocolate Scotch Shortbread Cookies

Servings: 40

2 c Sifted flour	1/2 c Strained unsweetened cocoa
1 c Confectioner's sugar	1/4 t Salt
1/2 lb Cold butter	1 t Vanilla

Food processor method:

Place the dry ingredients in the bowl. Cut the cold butter into 1/2 inch slices over the dry ingredients. Add the vanilla. Cover and process until ingredients hold together. With hands form into log on lightly floured surface. Cut into 1/2 inch slices. Place one inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Pierce each cookie 3 times all the way through with fork. Refrigerate for a short time if you have trouble with this step. Bake for 25 or 30 minutes, checking often. The cookies should be firm to the touch.

Electric mixer method:

Remove butter from refrigerator 20 to 30 minutes before you plan to make cookies. Cream the butter. Add the vanilla, sugar, and salt and beat to mix. On low speed add the flour and cocoa, beating only until mixture holds together. Make into log as above, refrigerating if necessary to make firm enough to handle. Bake as above.

[My son] Arthur has been known to whip these up after the main course for dessert when Mackenzie decided that because they had people over it was a party and they should have "cake". This is a Maida Heatter recipe. - Flo Leighton, 1992

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Servings: 40

3/4 c Shortening	1 c Peanut butter
1 1/2 c Brown sugar	1/2 c Water
1 Egg	1 t Vanilla
3 c Oatmeal (any kind)	1 1/2 c Flour
1/2 t Soda

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat first shortening, brown sugar and peanut butter until creamy. Beat in water, egg and vanilla. Add combined dry ingredients. Mix well. Cover. Chill about two hours. Drop in desired size on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until edges are golden brown ( about 10 or 11 minutes). Cool one minute on cookie sheet before removing.

These may also be rolled into balls, flattened into traditional peanut butter cookie pattern with sugared fork. They taste just as good done the quicker way. I always put cookies in zip lock bags and freeze to keep them fresh, but then my cookie eaters usually only visit me once a week. Their initials are AL and MAL. - Flo Leighton, 1992

Chocolate Pecan Square frosting

This goes with Chocolate Pecan Squares recipe.

Servings: 15

1 1/2 c White sugar
6 T Butter or margarine
6 T Milk
1/2 c Chocolate chips 

Boil sugar, butter or margarine, and milk for 30 seconds.  Remove from heat and add chocolate chips.  Beat until spreading consistency.  Spread over chocolate pecan squares.  Sprinkle coarsely chopped pecans over bars.  Cut in squares when cool.  Number may vary according to size desired. 

This is one of Samantha Peterson's recipes from Gallery 8 Restaurant.  These are similar to Texas bars.
- Flo Leighton, 1991

Richfield Lemon Bars

Servings: 12

Crust:

1/2 c Unsalted butter
1 T Unsalted butter
6 T Sugar
1/2 t Vanilla
2 1/4 c sifted Flour
1 Egg

Topping:

9 Eggs
1 2/3 c Sugar
1 1/4 c Whipping Cream
1/2 c Lemon juice
3 1/3 T Grated lemon peel 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour 9 x 13 pan.  Cream butter with sugar and vanilla.  Mix in flour.  Add egg mixture and stir until crumbly.  Press dough in pan.  Bake about 25 minutes.  Cool on rack.  Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.  For topping cook beaten eggs and sugar in heavy saucepan, over medium heat, stirring constantly until 145 degrees.  Mix in cream, lemon juice, and lemon peel.  Pour over crust.  Bake until topping is just set, about 30 minutes.  Cool in pan.

This is a recipe from a restaurant in Yakima, WA. - Flo Leighton, 1991